Article 2 - Baby Steps

Done is better than perfect

(Strive your hardest to move forward, and keep going)

(Photo courtesy of: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cyclist-finishing-mountain-bike-race-17655908/)

Choosing is one key element in moving towards self-improvement. It is important to fill up all checkboxes and cover all bases. And for the moment of truth, making plans and targets into a reality!

And the big question would be: “Am I truly ready?”

That's where most people who are trying to leave their old selves suddenly find themselves in limbo. They begin to question whether the decisions they made are the right ones. It's extremely uncomfortable when treading on unknown waters, like moving toward the unknown. 

As the title suggests, done is better than perfect. And like most people, I also end up doing these things that eat a lot of my time and effort. These are:

• creating the best environment
• creating the ideal scenario and
• coming up with the most carefully planned set of actions

And, like most people, when things don't go my way. I get frustrated. Then, I resort to procrastination and I justify it by convincing myself that I deserve not to do anything. Have you also done this? 

I remember one lecture I attended, the speaker told us, “There is a pleasure in quitting”. That explains why when the going gets tough; when everything is like choking the life out of you; just to get out of all the stress, it's easier to just quit. Because when you quit, there's a dopamine rush that gives you that sensation of pleasure. 

And when you develop that habit of quitting when you're uncomfortable, it gives you that leeway to just quit rather than suffer any damage. It encourages you not to fight and persevere. Then, after some time, you'll end up asking, “What if?”

Then, I came across these words from Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead: Done is better than perfect! And I was just speechless, took a breather. I reflected on those words and told myself, “Are you going to quit again? Seriously. Go get yourself going!”

And as I was watching something on a Facebook reel, I saw a video of a baby learning to walk. That's when I realized you don't need to become the best version of yourself in one instance. You can take small, baby steps toward your path to self-improvement. 

Here are some suggestions:

Build a habit

Most things we do are a product of some habits we develop over the years. It's not surprising that forgetting and leaving something you have done for quite some time takes effort and poses a challenge. Because it's a habit. 

According to the Growth Faculty article, Habits allow you to be consistent even when motivation decreases. They suggested creating routines that would keep you always on track, even if you don't feel like doing it.

So if you feel you don't want to do things, you have set your mind to do, remember, Nike's slogan: “Just Do It”

Sticking to it.

You're now resolved to stick to a routine because you have set yourself to building some habit-forming activities. Next is to find the will to stick to it. Most of the time, motivation wanes when you're faced with challenges. It's easy to be heartbroken and just revert to quitting, like what you used to do before. 

You need to find the fortitude to continue with your habits and stick with them until it becomes “as easy as breathing.” You'll find as you are acquiring a new set of positive habits that yourself is your biggest adversary. It's you who's resisting the positive change that's happening because change, at first, can be uncomfortable and irritating. But it's necessary.

Resist shiny object syndrome

Wikipedia defined shiny object syndrome as a situation where someone focuses on something trendy and forgets it when something new comes along. Forbes wrote an article that it's one of the biggest problems for entrepreneurs. 

Let us say you're working on a routine, and you have been resisting it since day one because it makes life miserable for you. After all, you're adapting a new mindset and a way of doing things. 

Then, you come across and new concept you've read on the internet that tells you that there is something better. After reading it, you thought about it and decided right away that it would be your latest course of action. 

You feel uncomfortable again, read another article, find a new alternative, and the cycle continues on and on and on. And you realized, you just kept on starting something and could not finish it. 

What I'm trying to say is, that rather than finding the “newest best way,” it would be better if you would stick to what you do until it becomes your way of doing things.

Because constantly searching for something new is a never-ending quest. You'll always end up discontented and heartbroken.

Always feel grateful even for small things

I read a post from the Dessert Sun; it says that we should be grateful even for the small things. I mentioned in my post that I went to training, and the speaker said that quitting feels good, but he also mentioned being thankful for the little things. 

He mentioned being thankful after a quick cold shower and was extremely relieved.  He stressed out how the scorching heat made him uncomfortable, so as soon as the water touched his body; it gave him the impression that it was the best thing that happened to him that day. 

I would also feel that way if it were me. You need to see that being thankful and being contented are two intertwined reactions. To feel grateful over the smallest of things would mean that you're contented and happy.

Practice saying thank you, and you're welcome can impact your life by leaps and bounds. You don't need to spend a fortune being kind to others. Acknowledging the little effort they make that makes life a little easier for you creates a whirlpool effect that multiplies happiness for you and for others. 

Try to see the goodness in people

The easiest route to be stressed out and grumpy is to find fault at a whim and magnify it. Lambasting people for their shortcomings temporarily creates a feeling of dominance and self-validation, but it destroys any chance of meaningful interaction. 

When people disagree with each other, it's so easy to just destroy them emotionally by inflicting damaging commentaries about their past mistakes and inabilities. But the thing is, without realizing it, it's your personal inadequacy you are subconsciously spewing out. 

It's like a silent plea telling others you need help, you want them to reach out to you, but you can't just say it straight for whatever reason you have. 

That is why, rather than being bitter toward others, learn to be more forgiving and tolerant of others' petty mistakes. 

In Conclusion

Making minor adjustments to your routine can be both difficult and rewarding. These changes can help you develop positive habits and become better at looking at life with a whole new perspective. 

When you have positivity flowing, people will also see it, and it affects everyone around you. You find it easy to implement solutions when your entire being isn't vindictive about getting back into something that made you feel bad. 

The feeling of becoming needy when you talk to people will slowly lessen. You no longer look for sympathy because that feeling of you against the world will slowly loosen its grip on your person. 

Creating an atmosphere where it's easier for others to interact with you because of your high level of empathy will be the new norm for you. People will notice that you are less argumentative, and would always come from a place of help. 

I would be happy to read comments from you and look forward to interacting with you. All the best to you, Ciao!